Machine for turning buttons and like articles.



No. 838,528. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906. H. B. EMBLER & G. A. DIEMER.

MACHINE FOR TURNING BUTTONS AND LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.2 1908.

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No. 838,528. PATENTED DEG.1 8, 1906.

H. B. EMBLBR & GNA; DIEMER. MACHINE FOR TURNING BUTTONS AND LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY B. EMBLER AND GEORGE A. DIEM-ER, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK; SAID EMBLER ASSIGNOR TO NORTHERN BUTTON MACHINE COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed October 2. 1903. Serial No. 176.456.

To all whom it may concernf Be it known that we, HARRY B. EMBLER and GEORGE A. DIEMER, citizens of the United States, residing at Newburgh, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Turning Buttons and Like Articles, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in machines for turning buttons and other like articles and will be defined in its scope by the claims attached hereunto.

The object of our invention is to im rove and simplify the mechanism employe and to secure a better result therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, in which we show a preferred form of our invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the main parts of our invention with some parts removed and one part partially broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the entire apparatus, certain parts being shown in horizontal section. Fig.

3 is a relatively enlarged sectional elevation of certain features of construction.

In making buttons a rough blank is first turned up smooth, contoured, and given its final shape, after which if the button is provided with threadassagesit is drilled.

Our invention re ates to the shaping up of rough blanks into the desired form, said blanks being carried in rotatable chucks, in turn carried by an intermittently-movable frame which will bring said chucks successively in front of the proper tool for shaping up and finishing the button. The chucks are automatically opened and closed and are revolved only when brought into operative position in front of the tool, which tool is automatically fed toward the chuck at the proper time so as to engage with the rough blank carried thereby and transform it into the desired shape.

1 is a rotatable chuck-carrying frame. In the drawings this frame carries two sets of chucks arranged side by side and spaced ninety degrees apart. The number and spacing of the chucks may, however, be varied. The frame 1 is rotatably mounted upon a fixed arbor 84, suitably supported at its ends, for example, by the standards 13 and 13 The frame 1 is intermittently rotated to bring the chucks successively into the proper position in front of cutting-tools 5 5, and in the drawings the means for intermittently rotating said frame comprise the following members: 83 is a beveled gear secured to frame 1. 82 is a beveled gear fixed on shaft 81 and meshing with gear 83. is a spur-gear on the shaft 81 and intermittently engaged by the segmental gear 8. In the particular form shown the gear 8 is toothed on ninety degrees of its periphery. The gear 8 is fixed on shaft 7, and this shaft 7 is connected with the driving-shaft 76 by the spur-ge ars 7 4 75. From the foregoing it will be apparent how the frame 1 is given its intermittent impulses.

77 is the driving-pulley.

We will now describe the chuck and its correlated parts, whereby it is operated and whereby it is driven.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the chuck-head 20 is carried at the end of the spindle 2. This head 20 is slitted, as at 21,[to form yielding jaws. 9 is a sleeve, having suitable bearings in the frame 1, whereby the same may be rotated at the proper time. The inner end of the sleeve 9 may bear against an abutment, while said sleeve is prevented from outward longitudinal movement by a collar 91 carried thereby. The spindle 2 passes through the sleeve 9, and the inner end of the chuck-head 20 is tapered, as at 22, to engage with the outer end of the sleeve when the former is drawn in, so

as to cause the chuck-jaws to move toward each other and tightly embrace anything placed between them. The spindle 2 is pressed inwardly by means of a spring 25, pressing against a collar 26 on spindle 2 at one end and against an abutment or shoulder 93 on the sleeve at the other end. l/Vhile it will be seen that the spindle 2 partakes of a longitudinal movement in the sleeve 9, it is nevertheless held against independent rotation, for example, by such means as hereinafter described. 3 is a bevel-gear rotatably mounted upon sleeve 9. One end of this bevel-gear 3 may have a tapered entrance, so that it will operate as a clutch member. 33 is a second clutch member, having a tapered end arranged to cooperate with the tapered entrance of the clutch member 3 at the proper time. This clutch member 33 is slidably mounted upon the sleeve 9 and is normally pressed toward the clutch member 3 by means of a spring 94, bearing against the member 33 at one end and against a collar 95 at the other end. 36 is a key carried by the member 33 and passing through a longitudinal slot 92 in the sleeve 9 and into a recess 24 in the spindle '2. It will now be apparent that the member 33, the sleeve 9, and the spindle 2 are locked against independent rotation, and yet the parts 33 and 2 are capable of a limited amount of longitudinal movement for the purposes hereinafter described. The beveled gear 3that is, the first clutch memberis constantly in mesh with the beveled gear 30, carried by a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the end of the arbor 84. This sleeve is indicated at 31. 32 is a pulley fixed on said sleeve 31 and by which the gear 30 is driven. By means of this construction it will be seen that the gear 3 is rotated so long as the gear 30 is in motion.

When the parts stand in the position indicated in Fig. 3 the motion of the gear 3 is transmitted to the chuck-head 20 through the clutch member 33, key 36, sleeve 9, and spindle 2. g If the member 33 were free from engagement with the member 3, it is obvious that the chuck 20 and the associated parts would stop rotating. To accomplish this antomatically, we provide the following construction: The spindle 2 passes directly through the frame 1, so that its end will bear against the arbor 84, which, as before stated, is fixed. The face of this arbor 84 may be cut down to form a cam-surface 85 on one side. When the parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 3, the spindle 2 will bear upon this cam-surface 85. When the frame 1 turns, the end of the spindle 2 will ride upon said cam 85 to the high part of the arbor 84. This movement will project the spindle 2 outwardly, with the result that the jaws of the chuck-head 20 will spring apart and release the device formerly grasped thereby. During this movement the spindle 2 will engage the key 36, pushing it in the same direction, and thereby freeing the clutch member 33 from the member 3, the length of the slot 92 being sufficient to permit said disengaging movement of the clutch member 33. The chuck willthen cease rotating and will remain idle until the end of the spindle 2 again encounters the flattened portion of the arbor 84, when the parts will again assume the position indicated in Fig. 3. In the meantime, however, a rough blank may be placed in the jaws of the chuck ready to be grasped thereby and turned therewith at the proper moment. As we have said, the drawings illustrate two sets of chucks arranged side by side in the frame 1. The second set of chucks (shown uppermost in Fig. 2) and the associated parts are constructed in the main similar to those already described, but instead of driving the same directly from the beveled gear 30 they may all be driven through the medium of an idler 35, meshing with'spur-gear's 34 34 respectively, carried by the clutch members 3 3 and rotatably mounted upon the sleeves 9; The outer surface of the clutch members 3 in this case need have no gear-teeth.

l/Ve will now describe the knife, means for moving-the same, and the means for locking the frame 1 in the proper position while the button-blank is being turned down.

6 is a frame which supports a slide 4, which latter is moved to and fro by a cam 70, mounted on the shaft 7. 42 is a depend ing projection from the slide 4, which enters a cam-groove 78 in said cam, so that as the latter is revolved the slide will be moved to advance or retract the knife 5. The knife 5 may be carried by a second slide 50, in turn mounted on slide 4, the purpose of the same being to permit adjustment of the knife to a delicate degree. The knife 5 may be clamped by the set-screw 51, while the slide 50 may be moved to or fro by means of an adjusting-screw 52, mounted in a lug 40 on slide 4, said screw making proper connection with said slide 50. The cam 7 O is connected with the shaft 7 by a featherspline 71, so that it may move longitudinally thereon. The said cam, however, is springpressed toward an abutment 79 by means of a spring 72, bearing at one end against the 5 cam and at the other end against the collar 73. By this means it will be seen that the knife 5 may yield slightly and is not brought into such hard and positive engagement with a blank being turned as would be the case were the cam 70 capable of no longitudinal movement. 8

11 is a bolt which is advanced and retracted by means of the slide 4. The nose of this, bolt 11 is preferably tapered and arranged to enter the tapered recess 1Q in the frame 1 before the knife 5 comes up to its work. By this meansto wit, the bolt 11the frame 1 is positively positioned, so that the clutchhead 20 and the blank carried thereby will be rigidly held during the turning operation. The bolt 11 may be mounted in a guide 60 on the frame 6, while the tail of the bolt may pass through a lug 41 on the slide 4, so that y when the latter is moved back the bolt 11 will be retracted.

15 is a collar fixed on the shank of the bolt 11, and 12 is a spring arranged between said collar 15 and stop 41. By means of this spring 12 the bolt 11 will advance with the slide 4 and enter the recess 10.

It will be seen that the speed of rotation of the spindle 2 and chuck 20 is dependent entirely upon the speed of rotation of the gear 30 driven from the pulley 32; It will also be observed that the intermittent movement of the frame 1 and the length of the pause during which the button-blank is being turned is determined by the speed of the driving-pulley 77. This is of great advantage, because inturning ICC some materials it requires greater time than in turning other materials. So, also, in turning some materials the work may be more effectively accomplished by running the chuck at comparatively slow speed, all of which variations may be easily effected by changing the relative speed of the pulleys 32 and 77. Another feature of importance is the dependent relation between the knives or cutters and the lock. By the arrangement which we have devised these parts are controlled by the same means and the correct position of the chuck is always attained before the knives commence their work.

While we have shown the apparatus in the preferred form, it is apparent that various changes may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of our invention.

'Having thus described ourinvention, what weclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A button-turning device comprising a rotative frame having button-chucks spaced thereon, means for intermittently advancing said frame one chuck-space, beveled pinions concentric with the chuck-spindles, friction driving members carried by said pinions and spindles and continuously rotating, a bevelgear engaging said pinions, and a cam controlling the engagement of said friction driving members.

2. In a button-machine in combination, a

' rotating frame carrying chucks thereon suitably spaced apart, a driving device for one or more of said chucks comprising a gear-wheel, a circular gear with which said. gear-wheel meshes at all times, said chuck being also provided with a friction device adapted to operatively connect said gear-wheel and chuck to rotate the same, and a cam for causing said engagement at the proper times, and means for intermittently rotating said frame.

In a button-machine in combination, a rotating frame having button-chucks thereon adapted to open and close to receive buttonblanks, a circular gear, means for rotating each of said chucks and comprising a gearwheel for each chuck at all times meshing with said circular gear and constituting a driving member, a driven member for each chuck adapted to be frictionally connected with said driving-wheel, and means for automatically connecting said gear-wheel and driven member at the proper times.

4. In a button-making machine, a rotatable frame, rotatable button-chucks spaced thereon and provided with spindles, means for periodically moving said frame, means for periodically rotating the chucks, and means for causing the chucks to alternately grip and releasethe button-blanks said lastnamed means including a constantly-operating driver having a clutch member, a companion clutch member connected to the chuck-spindle and rotatable therewith, and

means whereby the spindle is moved to cause the chuck to release the button-blank during the intermissions of its rotation, said movement of the spindle also releasing one clutch member from its engagement with the companion member.

5. In a buttonana king machine, an intermittent rotatable frame, a rotatable button chuck thereon and provided with a spindle, means for intermittently moving the spindle lengthwise to cause the chuck to release the button-blank, a clutch member slidable in unison with the chuck-spindle and connected to rotate with the spindle, a companion clutch member rotatable relative to the spindle and out of engagement with which the first-named clutch member is moved by the spindle, means whereby the second clutch member is constantly rotated, and means for engaging the clutch members one with the other and simultaneously causing the chuck to grip the button-blank whereby the latter is rotated.

6. In a button-making machine, an intermittent rotatable frame, intermittently-rotatable button-chucks spaced thereon, a cutter, automatic means for moving'the cutter to and from the work, other means operated from the same source and comprising a constantly-operating member and a device intermittently set in motion thereby, to intermittently, turn the button-carrying frame a predetermined distance for each advance of the cutter, and means operable by the cuttermoving means and comprising a longitudinally-movable bolt carried by the cutter-supporting means,- for automatically locking and freeing said frame immediately before and immediately after the advancement and retraction of the cutter.

7. In a button-making machine, a rotatable frame, rotatable button-chucks spaced thereon and provided with spindles, means for moving said frame, separate means for rotating each of said chucks said separate means comprising a constantlyoperating clutch member, a companion clutch member slidable relative to the first member and. connected to slide in unison with the chuck-spindle, means for opening the chucks and simultaneously releasing one clutch member from the other, means for engaging one clutch member with the other when the chuck is actuated to grip the button-blank, said movable clutch member being operated at each pause of the rotatable frame.

8 In a button-making machine, an intermittently-rotatable frame, button-chucks spaced thereon, means separate from the frame-operatin means for rotating the button-chucks saicI last-named means including separate clutches for each chuck each of said clutches comprising a member concentric with the chuck-spindle and means for constantly rotating it, and a companion member TIC concentric with the spindle and connected to move therewith, and means for operating the chuck-spindle lengthwise, to carry one clutch member out of engagement with the other and to cause the chuck of said spindle to release the button-blank.

9. Ina button-making machine, a rotative frame, rotatable chucks spaced thereon, means for intermittenely advancing said frame predetermined steps, clutch members concentric with the chuck-spindles, one of said members being rotatable independent thereof, another member on said clutch dependently rotatable relatively thereto and means for moving said clutch member into engagement intermittently and freeing the same at other times.

10. In a button-making machine, a rotatable frame, rotatable button-chucks spaced thereon, means for intermittently advancing said frame predetermined steps, pinions concentric with the chuck-spindles, idle pinions intermediate of the first-named pinions, slidable clutch members cooperating with said first pinions and keyed to the chuckspindles, a constantly-driven gear engaged by the first pinions, means for operating said clutches.

. 11. In a button-making machine, a rotatable frame, rotatable button-chucks spaced thereon, means for intermittently advancing said frame predetermined steps, pinions concentric with the chuck-spindles, idle pinions intermediate of the first-named pinions, slidable clutch means cooperating with said first pinions and keyed to the clutch-spindles, a constantly-driven gear engaged by the first pinions, means for operating said clutches, said means comprising a stationary cam fixed to the axis of the frame and adapt- 40 cutter at intervals dependent upon the in- I termittent advancing of the chuck-carrying frame, means whereby the cutter is yieldably mounted and a longitudinally-slidable springpressed bolt operable by the means for moving said cutter for engaging and locking said chuck-carrying frame in advance of the operation of the cutter.

13. In a machine of the character described, a spindle, a chuck at one end thereof, a sleeve surrounding said chuck and chuck-spindle, a longitudinally movable clutch member mounted on said sleeve, said parts being keyed together, said spindle and clutch member being capable of independent'longitudinal movement relatively to said sleeve, a driving-clutch member rotatably mounted on said sleeve, said clutch members being engaged and said chuck being contracted when said spindle moves in one direction, and respectively disengaged and expanded when said spindle moves in the opposite direction.

Signed at Newburgh, New York, this 24th day of April, 1903.

HARRY B. EMBLER.

GEORGE A. DIEMER. Witnesses:

MAUDE H. CORNELL, WILLIAM G. HUNTER. 

